EAM Dr. S Jaishankar met with the families of eight Indians detained in Qatar, offering government’s support as a Qatari court delivered a devastating verdict sentencing them to death.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), EAM Dr. Jaishankar said, “Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar. Stressed that Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families. Underlined that Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release. Will coordinate closely with the families in that regard.”
Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar.
Stressed that Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families.
Underlined that Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release.…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 30, 2023
About the case:
The eight Indian nationals, who were employees of Qatar’s Doha-based Dahra Global, found themselves in custody in August 2022. The exact charges against them remain undisclosed by Qatari authorities, but allegations suggest they were detained on suspicion of espionage. These individuals were reportedly working in their private capacity with Dahra Global and were overseeing the induction of Italian small stealth submarines U2I2.
The detained Indian nationals have been identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh, all of whom are former Indian Navy personnel now employed by Qatar’s Dahra Global.
MEA’s Response:
In response to the court’s verdict, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier issued a statement expressing its profound concern. The MEA stated, “We are deeply shocked by the verdict of the death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgment. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options.” The ministry reiterated its commitment to providing consular and legal assistance to the Indian nationals and pledged to take up the verdict with Qatari authorities.
Moreover, the Ministry added, given the confidential nature of the case proceedings, they are refrained from making further comments at this stage.
Political Reaction:
As news of the verdict spread, India’s opposition party, Congress, called upon the government to act swiftly to secure the release of the eight detained men in Qatar. Jairam Ramesh, Congress MP and General Secretary in-charge of communications, expressed the party’s anguish and shock, stating, “It hopes and expects that the Govt of India will use its diplomatic and political leverage with the Qatar government to the maximum to ensure that the officers have full recourse to appeals and also do the utmost to get them released at the earliest.”
Complex Circumstances:
The detained former Navy personnel received some relief when Qatari authorities moved them out of solitary confinement and placed them in a double-bed occupancy in a jail ward along with their colleagues. However, the exact reasons for their arrest have never been officially disclosed by Qatari authorities.
External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar, had previously referred to the case as “sensitive” and emphasized its priority for the Indian government.
